Leafstrike's Vigil
Leafstrike: '''My OC (my OC but not my art) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (Google + *Leaf Moon*) She is a light brown tabby cat, with darker brown markings and a white chest. '''WindClan warrior. LEAFSTRIKE'S VIGIL As the snow fluttered down from the sky, Leafpaw trotted happily to camp, a fat rabbit in her jaws. It was the last of the plump prey she and her clan would ever get, and she was busy thinking about who to give it to. She wanted to eat it up by her self, but she knew that was against the warrior code, and she also knew there were elders and queens that needed the strength more than she did. Finally, Leafpaw decided to give the rabbit to. The queens! That way, there would be more kits, which meant more apprentices, which also meant..more warriors! Leafpaw padded into the nursery and dropped the rabbit on the ground. "This is for you, Shinepelt!" Leafpaw said, pawing the rabbit closer to the ginger she-cat. "Thank you, Leafpaw! I'll make sure to share it with the other queens, okay?" Shinepelt said, looking up from her rambunctious kits. Leafpaw nodded, then turned to walk out of the nursery. Just as she came through the cozy exit of the nursery, she bumped into her mentor, Shadowspots. "How was the hunt today, Leafpaw?" Shadowspots asked, licking Leafpaw's shoulder affectionatly. "It was fine...I caught a fat rabbit today!" Leafpaw said proudly. "That's great, Leafpaw! I'll take you out for some training later today, okay?" Shadowspots said, already turning to head into the medicine cat's den. "I have to find something to treat my sore muscles!" "Alright!" Leafpaw said, and she padded towards the fresh-kill pile, eager to finally get something of her own to eat. Picking out a scrawny thrush, she sat down next to the other apprentices and started to rip off the wings and feathers. After finishing her meal, she stood and shook her fur, trying to get the snowflakes off her thin pelt, which wasn't thick enough yet to protect her from the cold. As she did so, she noticed Eagleleap and a few other cats from a patrol talk to Silverstar, who was looking grim with the news that the cats were telling him. Leafpaw crept closer, hoping to get a few words from their conversation. "We have found sight of wolves in our territory, Silverstar! .........we need to find the pack.......and make a camp somewhere more concealed and protected......we'll set out immediately....." Eagleleap said, and the cats from the patrol ran out of camp and into the great beyond of the moor. "Attention!'' Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" Silverstar yowled, leaping up onto the Tallrock. All the Clan cats started swarming out of the dens, and out into the clearing to hear Silverstar's message. "There has been a pack of wolves sighted! We may have to move from our camp to a different one, either permanently or temporarily! We need all cats to be ready to move by tomorrow evening!" All the cats gasped and started to whisper amongst themselves. "''A wolf in Windclan territory! How dreadful!" "My kits may not be well enough to move yet!" "Wow, a pack of wolves? I wanna show them whose boss!" "Oh yeah, you wanna show them a scrawny little frog?" "Oh my, moving to a different camp? What has this Clan come to?" '' Leafpaw was bewildered. She had never seen or heard about wolves, and she didn't know their scent, but she did know that they were like hairier dogs...or something. But all of a sudden, a small, nagging whisper intruppted her thoughts. "''I wanna go out tonight and fight them for all I'm worth! And then maybe, Silverstar will finally let me be a warrior, and maybe even deputy!" ''Leafpaw knew that voice! That was arrogant Snakepaw, obviously wanting to do whatever it took to become a warrior. But....as Leafpaw thought about it, she knew that she sort of wanted to fight the wolves herself too, so that she could finally become a warrior! Which...she wanted to do, and also didn't want to do at the same time. Maybe....she would become a warrior by saving Snakepaw from trying to kill himself/the wolves! Determined to do just that, Leafpaw went to her moss nest, and slept lightly, awake for any sound of pawsteps. There! At last, she was going to follow Snakepaw, and stop him before he got in trouble and hurt himself! Lifting herself out of her nest quickly and quietly, she followed Snakepaw out into the clearing, where he joined with one other cat. Of course the rest of the apprentices thought the idea of driving out/killing the wolves was a mousebrained idea! As she got a better look at the other cat, she saw that it was Rockpaw. Together the two padded out of camp, with Leafpaw behind them. As they were walking in the moonlight, right directly in the middle of Windclan territory, she was suddenly hit by the strongest, foulest smell in the whole world! ''That's what wolf smells like! Leafpaw thought, as she tried to stop her self from running off while belching. And then she saw them. Five massive, gray and black bodies, all the size of humongous dogs, were asleep in a tight circle. Creeping up on them, she was distracted, and didn't watch as Snakepaw and Rockpaw unsheathed their claws. But.....something snapped close to one of the canine's ears and it woke up with a start, braying and howling for all it was worth. Immediately all the wolves woke up and turned on the three cats. Leafpaw shrieked and tried to run off, totally forgetting about her mission to stop the other two apprentices. However....a massive paw cut her off from her escape route and she rolled along the dusty ground. Blood blinded her eyes, and she watched as Snakepaw was flung into the distance and Rockpaw become torn to shreds. Trying to get up, she watched as the wolves sniff around, obviously trying to get Rockpaw and Snakepaw's body so they could get a taste of cat blood. Leafpaw bounded as fast and as straight as she could, but she was a little woozy, and she could already taste blood dripping into her jaw. Finally, she saw the camp! But she remembered that the wolves would most likely follow her scent trail, and instead of getting some rest, she found a patch of dried fox dung to roll in. Then, she crept behind camp, and slipped into the medicine cat's den. Remembering the herbs that the medicine cat, Petalfall, had giving for head injuries, she used what was left of the herb for her head. Then, she quietly slipped into the apprentice's den, hoping that no cat had seen her. She didn't want to get in trouble, after her plan totally backfired. Her ears and heart burned with knowing that she could have saved Snakepaw and Rockpaw, and her spine kept feeling chills when she remembered Rockpaw being torn to shreds.... In Leafpaw's dream, she dreamed that she was walking in a moonlit field, and Rockpaw's torn up body was wailing for help. As Leafpaw walked on she saw Snakepaw being flung back in forth between two small black wolves. But all of a sudden, Snakepaw landed at Leafpaw's feet, and he growled at her, hissing," You left us to die, Leafpaw! How could you!" ''His words echoed through her head, and she started sobbing, saying ''I'm so sorry! ''over and over again. Something kept prodding at her belly, and then she finally awoke. "Good morning, Leafpaw! I'm sorry I wasn't able to train you yesterday, and we definitely can't today, because of the wolf alert. But, if you succeed in helping us move today, I'm sure Silverstar will make you a warrior!" Shadowspots chirped. But, Shadowspots optimism did not reach Leafpaw, and she miserably thought, ''Snakepaw and Rockpaw should be warriors with me! But, they can't because I let them die! But nonetheless, Leafpaw dutifully helped the camp prepare and move. She let the elders lean on her as they went behind the camp to go to the new camp grounds by the Highstones. She helped the queens carry their kits, and she carried herbs from the medicine cat's den to the new hollow in the tree trunk that was near their new camp. But all this she did mournfully, upset that she did not save her fellow apprentices and she left them to die. Eventually, her closest friend, Glowpaw, noticed Leafpaw's behavior, and asked her what was wrong. "I let them die, Glowpaw. I let them die," Leafpaw murmured, and then she turned and padded away. While they were moving, a few Clan members noticed that the two apprentices were not in camp, and during the move, the whole Clan found out about what had happened to them. The story was the same, Snakepaw and Rockpaw went to attack the wolves themselves, but failed and died a miserable death, except Leafpaw was not included in the terrible story because no cat knew that she had been involved... After a few days in their new camp, the threat of the wolf had vanished, but not completely. Leafpaw's behavior had improved, but only a little bit, because earlier that day, Silverstar told her that all of the apprentices would become warriors. All of a sudden, Silverstar leapt onto a branch on the withered tree that stood next to camp, and announced,"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting! Kits are allowed as well!" Just like before, in their old camp, the cats came before the leader and sat, waiting to see the warrior ceremony that was about to occur. Leafpaw and the other apprentices stood proudly on the ground below the leader, and listened as Silverstar made them each warriors in turn. Finally, it was Leafpaw's chance, and she brightened a little bit on finally becoming a warrior. "I, Silverstar , leader of Windclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Leafpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Leafpaw nodded,"I do." "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Leafpaw, from this moment you will be known as Leafstrike. StarClan honors your perseverance, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan," Silverstar declared. He rested his muzzle on Leafstrike's head, like the other apprentices-now-warriors, and she licked his shoulder respectively. "You must spend tonight protecting our new camp in your vigil. We will need your protection even more than ever because of the wolf threat that still lingers in our presence. Thank you, Leafstrike." Leafstrike nodded, and happily trotted over to the clearing where her friends awaited, but Silverstar was not done yet. "We must honor our lost apprentices, Snakepaw and Rockpaw, because of their death caused by the wolves tonight. "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on the bodies of the apprentices we have not yet found. They have learned the warrior code and given up their life in the service their Clan. Let StarClan receive them as warriors. They will be known as Rockfur and Snaketail." Silverstar said, and the Clan cats chanted," Snaketail! Rockfur! Leafstrike! Glowpelt! Softeyes!" the end By: OnyxKills (Don't edit) Wolf attack >>>>>>>>>>>> '''See also: '''A Trip In Star Clan, Brook-kit's Guardian, and Turtle-kit's Guardian